Medical Oncology

Tailoring Cancer Treatment to You

Medical oncology is a branch of medicine that focuses on using medications to treat cancer. Medical oncologists collaborate with other cancer care team members, such as surgeons, radiation oncologists and hematologists, to provide comprehensive care for people with cancer. 

To save you both time and money, we’re committed to keeping you close to home during treatment. Your medical oncologist will work with you to create a schedule that’s as convenient as possible. Along with providing medical oncology services at each of our main cancer centers, we also offer treatment at outreach sites and through virtual infusion programs.

Find care near you.

Medical Oncology Treatments

At Sanford Health, we understand that cancer care should be as unique as the person we’re treating. Your medical oncologist will design a personalized treatment plan for you, while guiding you through the process and making sure you completely understand your care plan.

Your medical oncology treatment options:

Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill fast-growing cancer cells. There are a variety of chemotherapy drugs created to target different cancer types. Chemotherapy drugs can be injected intravenously, by shot, through a cream or using a pill. And since the drugs can’t distinguish whether fast-growing cells are good or bad, they can also affect cells in your hair, skin, nails, mouth and intestines as a side effect.

Hormone therapy treats cancers that use hormones to grow, such as prostate and breast cancer. This treatment slows or stops your body’s hormone production, which restricts the cancer’s ability to grow. It’s also known as endocrine therapy.

Immunotherapy is a treatment that uses your immune system to fight cancer by boosting, directing or restoring your body’s natural defenses against cancer.

Precision oncology refers to treatments uniquely designed to treat your specific cancer based on your genetic mutations, type of cancer, tumor size, location, cancer stage and more. These tailored treatments provide better results faster and with fewer side effects.